There’s a lot of choices to make on a Saturday evening in Amsterdam. Lauran Hibberd was one of the lesser known options tonight, playing a later show in the upstairs space of the Paradiso. Hibberd is wrapping up the Bring Your Own Girlfriend Tour here, after touring through Europe for the last couple of weeks.
The stage itself is made to look like a garden, fitting for Lauran’s second record girlfriend material and tonight’s vibe. It’s a shame so little people seem to know about her music, but as she notes herself, the people that did know about it get bragging rights for when she inevitably gets her flowers.
Even though it’s an intimate and short set, the overall energy and vibes are very positive. Her music sounds brightly colored, playful and relatable, with emotional notes at times, a testament to Lauran’s songwriting. 90s garage rock influences and 2000s pop punk energy are clearly the basis of her musical influences, drawing easy comparisons to artists like Avril Lavigne and Liz Phair. She herself describes her ‘genre’ as ‘slacker pop’, being a little bit more quirky than your average pop princess.
In an era filled with wildly popular female musicians, it truly makes you wonder why Lauran doesn’t draw bigger crowds yet. Lauran made some nods to some of them too, referencing Taylor Swift (‘I wrote “anti fragile” before she released “Anti-Hero,” but I can’t prove it’) and playing a cover of Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go” (jokingly saying she wrote the song yesterday). Whether she’s playing songs about ex-boyfriends with “Honda Civic”, crushes she’s had on girls during “Mary,” or her impostor syndrome on “I’m Insecure”, there’s something different for every fan to relate to. She gets especially vulnerable during the slower portion halfway through the show, with the songs “anti fragile” and “Shark Week” going straight for the heart.
The secret garden that was Saturday’s show, was a good excuse for Lauran to get up close and personal with her fans. The fans practiced the Macarena whilst waiting outside, to dance it during “Charlie’s Car,” prompting Lauran to confess she forgot how to do the dance herself. There were cheerleaders with pompoms for Lauran during “2nd Prettiest Girl,” which the crowd also held up hearts with “Prettiest Girl’” text on it. The hearts made Lauran reminisce over her mom putting hearts in her lunchboxes for school. Thanks to this intimate yet quirky vibe, the show doesn’t feel like the typical fan/artist relationship. For just a little while, Lauran became our best friend. She planted the seed, now she just needs a little more time to blossom into a star.
GALLERY: Lauran Hibberd at Paradiso in Amsterdam (October 5, 2024)
